Everyday Sketching

Here are some silly sketches I've made in the last few weeks.

The idea here is to sketch everyday. Why? It's a stress reliever. Just like anything else, sketching everyday will mean your sketches will get better. People are not born with drawing ability, it's developed and practiced everyday.

I am thinking that if I'm not too intimidated, I'll try sketching the sights and streets of China. It would be a great ice breaker and I'd carry home some interesting memories.

I guess my silly sketches have gotten somewhat better. Although I've always liked to draw, sketching everyday is a great way to improve my drawing ability quickly. I used to think I needed to carve out hours to do a drawing. Often the finished results were not what I planned. Sketching everyday means that the result doesn't have to be a frame-able work of art, it may even be unfinished, but it's a way to improve my ability sooner just using a few minutes in a day.

Now I carry the sketchbook with me everyday. I'll draw my eggs in the morning, a chair in the afternoon, or something on my desk in the evening. It's become sort of an obsession. Even if I don't have my sketchbook, I'll use my work journal, napkin, or even a 4x6 index card laying on my desk.

It's surprising what you can draw in just five minutes standing in a post office line or waiting for your hot water to boil in the mornings.

It doesn't matter what it looks like when you're done. Think of it as therapy. Many of my sketches are horrendous, but once in a while I'll get it right. If you keep a small sketchbook, you can look back at your progress. You'd be surprised at your progress just over a week or more. I know I was.

Dad had a construction accident one morning and pulled his fingers right out of their sockets. Now he is doing therapy to gain back the movement. I had pulled my thumb back skiing and had an exercise ball. As a drawing exercise I drew up how to use the sand-balloon and sent it with the 4x6 card attached. Here are the quick sketches I did. I even tried my hand at watercolor. Ruth bought a watercolor-a-day calendar that came with six colors. By mixing yellow and a touch of black I got a tan skin tone. It's amazing how relaxing this little effort was for me. I think dad got a kick out of it. He sent me a few photos of him using it.

...dave
When prosperity comes, do not use all of it. ~Confucius